Name of the Day: Felix
Call it the x factor.
Whether it’s an actual “x” - as in Alex - or just a “ks” pretending - like in Jackson - there’s something about that sound. And while I’ll bet you know at least one pint-sized Jackson, and perhaps a dozen Alexes of every age, there is one x-factor name that is woefully underused.
Yes, we’re quite serious about Felix.
Before you dismiss Felix as a cartoon cat or Oscar Madison’s neurotic roommate, consider these other bearers of the name:
- At least one dozen Saints Felix, including the Patron Saint of Zurich;
- A trio of Popes, as well as a few contenders for the title;
- Several ancient Romans who bore Felix as a family name or as an honorific;
- A handful of Austrian, Danish princes and other nobles, including Count Felix Yusupov, who took part in the plot to murder Rasputin on the eve of the Russian Revolution;
- James Bond’s trusted CIA contact, Felix Leiter;
- Patrick Dempsey’s friend in the current flick Made of Honor - played by Kadeem Hardison, better known as Dwayne Wayne on the Cosby Show spin-off, A Different World;
- An asteroid, 1664 Felix, and a Hurricane, destructive enough to merit retirement in 2007;
- A potion - Felix Felicis - which features prominently in Harry Potter.
It’s a name that has been used so many times, in so many different circumstances, that Felix the Cat is hardly the only association which comes to mind. And let’s be honest: that cat is something of a retro cool icon. It’s not quite like naming your son Mickey.
Felix also has a fabulous meaning - happy, lucky, successful.
And while your son probably won’t share his name with another boy in his class, it’s far from the unusual choice one might imagine. Felix ranked #397 in 2006. It’s consistently been in the Top 300 since 1958. It’s more popular than Jameson, Graham, Finn, Marc or Brent.
Should you live near the Canadian border, Felix might actually seem like a fairly popular choice - it was the 10th most popular name in Quebec in 2006.
There you have it - a surprisingly enduring and historic name that would wear well on a modern child.
Filed under: Names for Boys, Names of the Day |
Tags: Brent, Felix, Finn, Graham, Jameson, Marc
Good lord women, do you read my mind? Felix is on our kinda short list. For us, it goes:
Short:
James
Dexter
Theo
Kinda Short:
Felix
Deacon
Simon
Longer:
Gideon
Owen
Hugo
Calvin
In case you run out of names of the day.
Anywho, Felix is one of my favorite X names, aside from Dexter. I think it’s punchy and quirky and fun. I love the meaning, and it’s just freaking cute. Both of our families unanimously hate it, of course, which makes my husband shy away from it. It’s why Dexter is number two, over Felix.
Ha! No, not reading your mind - just must be great minds thinking alike.
I quite like Dexter, too - do you know the Philadelphia Story? I always think of Cary Grant playing C.K. Dexter “Dex” Haven opposite Katharine Hepburn’s Tracy Samantha Lord.
And I will have to borrow a few of these for Names of the Day - it’s quite difficult to narrow them down!
I love Felix! It’s super cool and hip. Still, though, it’d be a lot harder to pull off in some areas of the country than others. I really like Dexter, too, because “Dex” is so appealing. I’m partial to names with great nickname potential.
I’ve gotta ask you folks, even if it is a bit late to be doing so.
If you had boys Leo & Simon and a daughter, Josephine, would you use Felix for another boy? Or is it a bit too much? I like Felix very much (and adore his meaning) but wonder. Can anyone help? Thanks!
Lola, I would use Felix in a heartbeat - especially with Leo and Simon. It has the same feel, but they’d all have two syllable given names with very different sounds. To me, it’s the perfect balance between matching and still sounding distinct - a tricky task!